| 2008 American League Championship Series | ||||||||||
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| Dates | October 10–19 | |||||||||
| MVP | Matt Garza (Tampa Bay) | |||||||||
| Umpires | Tim McClelland (crew chief), Sam Holbrook, Brian O'Nora, Brian Gorman, Alfonso Márquez, Derryl Cousins, Ángel Hernández (Game 7 replacement for Cousins) | |||||||||
| Broadcast | ||||||||||
| Television | TBS MLB International | |||||||||
| TV announcers | Chip Caray, Ron Darling, Buck Martinez and Craig Sager (TBS) Dave O'Brien, Rick Sutcliffe (MLB International) | |||||||||
| Radio | ESPN | |||||||||
| Radio announcers | Jon Miller and Joe Morgan | |||||||||
| Streaming | ||||||||||
| ALDS |
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The 2008 American League Championship Series (ALCS), the second round of the 2008 American League playoffs, was a best-of-seven series matching the two winners of the American League Division Series. The AL East Division champion Tampa Bay Rays, who had defeated the Chicago White Sox in the ALDS, were paired with the wild-card and defending world champion Boston Red Sox, who had defeated the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, in the ALDS. Tampa Bay held the home field advantage.
The Rays won the series four games to three, becoming the first team since the 1992 Atlanta Braves to win a seventh game after blowing a 3–1 lead. The series began at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, on Friday, October 10, 2008, and was broadcast on TBS. Game 7 was played on Sunday, October 19.[1] This was the Rays' first appearance in the ALCS while the Red Sox were making their fourth appearance in the last six seasons and ninth overall. The two teams hit a combined 26 home runs—a record for league championship series.[2]
The Rays would go on to lose the World Series to the Philadelphia Phillies in five games.
- ^ "Tentative 2008 MLB Postseason Schedule". World Series. MLB.com. Archived from the original on September 14, 2008. Retrieved September 16, 2008.
- ^ Beck, Jason (October 19, 2008). "ALCS sets record with 26th homer". MLB.com. Archived from the original on October 23, 2008. Retrieved October 19, 2008.